Recent developments of single twisted pair Ethernet physical layers for 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s automotive applications allow new data communication architectures capable of accommodating a large number of communication nodes. While unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling is the most economical solution for large quantities of Ethernet ports to be deployed, the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance of the UTP is limited. Accordingly, a specific electrical design of all components is necessary for achieving sufficient EMC when using the UTP. TE Connectivity's MATEnet connector platform, for example, addresses those needs and provides an automotive solution for unshielded cabling as described in DiBiaso, E., Bergner, B., Wuelfing, J., Wuerker, R. et al., “Designing a Connection System for Gigabit Automotive Ethernet,” SAE Int. J. Passeng. Cars—Electron. Electr. Syst. 9(1): 134-146, 2016, doi: 10.4271/2016-01-007.
There are some sensitive Ethernet links in some car platforms, however, where the emitted electromagnetic noise needs additional suppression. For instance, a car with a front facing camera mounted above the rear view mirror may also integrate the AM, FM and digital radio broadcast antennas in the windshield in close proximity to the camera. In this case, the performance of these wireless systems may be degraded by the network camera connection even if a high performance UTP system is used. One possible solution is the use of a fully shielded connector system instead of an unshielded system for the sensitive Ethernet links, however, the use of different connector platforms in the same Ethernet system increases the component variance and typically leads to increased costs. Using a fully shielded system for all Ethernet links is an alternative approach, but is likely to be even more expensive.